Looking back to my first blog “My Goals” made me laugh a little. My blog was very simple and not a lot of personal information or detail on what my goals for this class was. I stated that I wanted to learn all that I could about technology, but don’t we all. I am willing to bet that no one is taking this class just to kill time. :)
Throughout this semester my blogs have been somewhat consistent on their length. Reading and looking at all my old blogs I noticed that they were pretty much brief and to the point. I think that has a lot to do with just being so set in my way of the KISS method that writing long blogs or anything seems hard for me to do. I have tried to make my blogs longer; I start out writing a long blog, but then at the end most of the information to me does not seem that important and I end up with my short few paragraphs blogs.
Rereading all my old blogs I noticed that as the semester moved along I did start to add personal information and my prior knowledge to the topics we were discussing, although that did not change the length of my blogs. Something that surprised me as I was reading my blogs was that at times I was not very confident in my technology skills. I know that there are others in the class that are way more advanced with technology than myself, but knowing that and my frustration with technology should not take away my confidence on what skills I do know and the ones that I am learning. I think that right now I am getting so much new information that at times it is hard for me to digest it all, but I know after this semester is over I will be in a more relaxed state of mind and have more free time to play around with the technology I have learned through this class.
This reflection has been fun. I plan on keeping a blog after this class is over and this summer working on expanding my Delicious account. I plan on only take 2 classes during summer semester so I will have more free time to expand and improve on my technology skills that I am learning right now.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Math Scores Soar with SMART Response
I think the SMART Response is a great way for teachers to get students engaged in the classroom lessons. Most kids today know how to use a cell phone and are text messaging to friends all day long so for them to use this device would not be hard at all. With the SMART Response students only have to press a letter e.g., A, B, C, D, for multiple choice questions or they can text answers that are not multiple choice. Students and teachers get their results immediately on a display screen. With the SMART Response student participation is 100% because the response of each student is displayed on a screen, but students do not know each other responses thus, taking away the fear of embarrassment for saying the wrong answer.
I am doing weather for my unit plan and my age group is kindergarten. I think this would be a great tool for quizzing them on the types of clouds. I could name the characteristics and have them press the letter to the cloud the matches that characteristic.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Digital Content Creation- Podcast
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-content-creation-manor/id3342966857?=61123816
For week 9/10 in EDU 271 we had to find a podcast on integrating technology into the classroom. I started by clicking on the different links that were in where to find podcast. After some time of just clicking and not sure what I was looking for I asked my daughters if they knew what a podcast was. My oldest daughter showed me a podcast on her IPod; she said she downloaded them from ITunes. I went to ITunes and checked out their podcasts. I had to download ITunes to my new computer because I had not done that yet. I then started looking for a podcast. I typed in education, integrating technology, and technology in the classroom. I found my digital content creation podcast in technology in the classroom.
The podcast digital content creation was not a very long podcast, but it was interesting to watch. The speaker was Les Simpson and he is a project base instructor at Manor New Tech High School in Manor, TX. He talked about i-Life and i-Work. The podcast was only about 3 minutes long, but what I got from it was that i-life and i –work allows students to create projects using multiple media tools without having to go through multiple software’s that may or may not work together. With i-life I could take pictures or videos of the students observing and reporting the weather. I could then add special effects, sound, or movie trailer to make it look like real news cast. I could then add it to Facebook and You Tube for parents to view.
For week 9/10 in EDU 271 we had to find a podcast on integrating technology into the classroom. I started by clicking on the different links that were in where to find podcast. After some time of just clicking and not sure what I was looking for I asked my daughters if they knew what a podcast was. My oldest daughter showed me a podcast on her IPod; she said she downloaded them from ITunes. I went to ITunes and checked out their podcasts. I had to download ITunes to my new computer because I had not done that yet. I then started looking for a podcast. I typed in education, integrating technology, and technology in the classroom. I found my digital content creation podcast in technology in the classroom.
The podcast digital content creation was not a very long podcast, but it was interesting to watch. The speaker was Les Simpson and he is a project base instructor at Manor New Tech High School in Manor, TX. He talked about i-Life and i-Work. The podcast was only about 3 minutes long, but what I got from it was that i-life and i –work allows students to create projects using multiple media tools without having to go through multiple software’s that may or may not work together. With i-life I could take pictures or videos of the students observing and reporting the weather. I could then add special effects, sound, or movie trailer to make it look like real news cast. I could then add it to Facebook and You Tube for parents to view.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Database
Database allows teachers and students to
• Organize
• Analyze
• Arrange or sort
• Select
• Categorize
• Choose
Some advantages of using database are
• Reduced data redundancy
• Reduced updating errors and increased consistency
• Greater data integrity and independence from applications programs
• Improved data access to users through use of host and query languages
• Improved data security
• Reduced data entry, storage, and retrieval costs
• Facilitated development of new applications program
Some disadvantages of using database are
• Database can be complex, difficult, and time-consuming to design
• Hardware and software start-up can be expensive
• Damage to database affects virtually all applications programs
• Extensive conversion costs in moving form a file-based system to a database system
• Initial training required for all programmers and users
Through database teachers and students can
• Create reflection journals on cloud observation
• Keep track of student projects
• Organize
• Analyze
• Arrange or sort
• Select
• Categorize
• Choose
Some advantages of using database are
• Reduced data redundancy
• Reduced updating errors and increased consistency
• Greater data integrity and independence from applications programs
• Improved data access to users through use of host and query languages
• Improved data security
• Reduced data entry, storage, and retrieval costs
• Facilitated development of new applications program
Some disadvantages of using database are
• Database can be complex, difficult, and time-consuming to design
• Hardware and software start-up can be expensive
• Damage to database affects virtually all applications programs
• Extensive conversion costs in moving form a file-based system to a database system
• Initial training required for all programmers and users
Through database teachers and students can
• Create reflection journals on cloud observation
• Keep track of student projects
Word Processor
Word Processors allow teachers and students to
• Modify/Change
• Edit
• Differentiate
• Outline
• Paraphrase
• Create
• Punctuate
• Report/Write
Some disadvantages of using word processors are
• Compatibility
• Cost
• Internet Requirements
• Frequent Upgrades
• Learning Curve
Through a word processor teachers and students can
• Download a CNN editorial and replace the adjectives with ones that have similar meaning
• Download pictures of clouds and create a list of words that describe them
• Use weather data from the Internet to create the weather section of the classroom newsletter
• Locate clipart of the types of clouds and write a poem for each
• Modify/Change
• Edit
• Differentiate
• Outline
• Paraphrase
• Create
• Punctuate
• Report/Write
Some disadvantages of using word processors are
• Compatibility
• Cost
• Internet Requirements
• Frequent Upgrades
• Learning Curve
Through a word processor teachers and students can
• Download a CNN editorial and replace the adjectives with ones that have similar meaning
• Download pictures of clouds and create a list of words that describe them
• Use weather data from the Internet to create the weather section of the classroom newsletter
• Locate clipart of the types of clouds and write a poem for each
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets allow teachers and students to
• Convey information
• Modify
• Analyze
• Calculate
• Compare/contrast
• Estimate
• Predict
Some disadvantages of using a spreadsheet are
• Need for specialized software and hardware
• Time for planning
• Frustration
Through spreadsheets teachers and students can
• Compare/contrast the types of clouds
• Plot the average yearly precipitation in the USA
• Graph the cost difference between using natural gas verses electricity for heating a home during the winter months.
• Convey information
• Modify
• Analyze
• Calculate
• Compare/contrast
• Estimate
• Predict
Some disadvantages of using a spreadsheet are
• Need for specialized software and hardware
• Time for planning
• Frustration
Through spreadsheets teachers and students can
• Compare/contrast the types of clouds
• Plot the average yearly precipitation in the USA
• Graph the cost difference between using natural gas verses electricity for heating a home during the winter months.
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